While having fun at -

CAMPING / HIKING / CANOEING

SKIING / SNOW BOARDING

SWIMMING / WATER SPORTS

SCOUT SKILLS/ CAVING

SHOTGUN AND RIFLE SHOOTING

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Scoutmaster David Schneeman

Meetings:  Monday nights 7:30-8:30 PM at Colin Powell Elementary, Centreville, VA (occasionally meetings will be held at Izaak Walton).  The meetings are generally focused on upcoming trip preparation, merit badge classes, advancements or other activities. We follow the Fairfax County School opening and closing schedules for the meetings. Summer meetings are scheduled based on troop activities instead of every week.  

Sponsoring Organization:  Our Troop is sponsored by the Izaak Walton League (IWL).  As we have several families in the Troop who are members of IWL, this allows us to utilize the camping and pavilion/cooking facilities as available. "Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America"   

Uniforms:  Scouts are expected to wear full Class A uniforms (hats optional) to meetings and events during the school year.  Class B uniforms (T-shirt with troop logo) can be worn to meetings during the summer. Neckerchiefs and T-Shirts are purchased through the troop. Web site for uniform and other scout apparel -> www.scoutstuff.org  

Program:  Troop 1137 believes the troop should be boy-driven with guidance from the adult leadership. The boys plan and conduct the meetings, and they have chosen a diverse outdoor program.  The troop typically has one outdoor activity per month.  Past trips have included tent, cabin and beach camping.  The troop also participates in a variety of day or afternoon activities, including museum visits, canoe trips and hikes.    A large number of boys in our troop also participate in youth league sports, high school sports, school bands, orchestra, religious programs and other outside activities, but are still able to participate and advance in Scouting.  

Patrol Method:  The basic unit of organization within the Troop is the Patrol.  For Troop outings, Patrols coordinate their own menus and do their own cooking.  Patrols are also encouraged to plan their own activities.  We organize new Scouts into their own Patrol as their experience level and objectives are similar.  Although somewhat similar to a Den in Cub Scouts, as Boy Scouts each Patrol elects their own leaders and plans their own activities.  An experienced Scout is assigned to act as Patrol Leader for new Scout Patrols for a period of 6 months to help them learn the Patrol method and to support them in achieving their initial rank advancement requirements.  In addition, adult advisors are assigned to each Patrol but their function is to support the Scout in achieving their goals, not to lead them.  

Summer Camp: We highly recommend and encourage all scouts to attend summer camp.  It is a week of great memories and life experiences. It is also one of the best means of earning merit badges and rank advancement, especially for 1^st year scouts.    

While the Troop does not solely depend upon Summer Camp to ensure that new scouts achieve their initial ranks, it does help to augment the program, especially for those Scouts who are unable to attend every meeting and camp out.  

Summer Camp 2008:  Currently the Troop plans on attending Camp Powhatan, part of the Blue Ridge Scout Reservation.  Last year the Scouts had the option of attending either Camp Ottari or Camp Olmstead (Goshen).  

High Adventure:  High adventure camps can be attended when Scouts have met the age or rank requirements.  In the summer of 2007 we had Scouts attend both the Philmont and Seabase high adventure camps. In the summer 2008 the older scouts will be executing one of the back country canoeing adventures from Northern Tier and possibly Seabase. www.scouting.org/HighAdventure.aspx  

Equipment:  The troop provides tents, stoves, cooking gear, and other shared equipment.  Boots, rain gear, sleeping bags and warm non-cotton clothing are essential.  Scouts are not required to immediately purchase backpacking equipment, but it is suggested that they obtain this equipment within the first year/by the time they reach the rank of First Class. A suggested equipment list is provided for each outdoor activity. A signed parental permission slip is required for all troop sponsored activities.  

A Commitment to Service  

Community Service:

• Troop 1137 has adopted the Pleasant Valley and Braddock Road intersection as a Road Clean-up Project.

• The Troop annually supports Scouting for Food to benefit the Western Fairfax Christian Ministries (WFCM). www.wfcmva.org The troop support the distribution of food Bags in local neghbohoods during one of the weekends in November and pickup the filled bags the following weekend.

• Troop 1137 Eagle Scout Projects benefit many community organizations each year.

• The Troop also performs a number of other service projects on an ad hoc basis. In September, the Scouts contributed over 60 hours of service in support of an upcoming American Diabetes Association fundraising event.  

Other Service Activities:

• Support for Sully District and Nation Capitial Area Council Scouting Events
  • Pinewood Derby/Sully District Bake-Off
  • Sully District Cub Scout Day Camp (this past year, Troop 1137 provided one full-time adult staff, one part-time adult staff, and over 15 scout staff in support of the Cub Scouts)
• Troop 1137 Scouts have a good track record of supporting Cub Scout Packs through their service as Den Chiefs
• Troop 1137 Scouts have supported the the Chantilly Library in their book sales and landscaping needs.
• Troop 1137 has a number of Order of the Arrow (OA - an honor society for Boy Scouts) members and has been recognized for its strong support of OA service projects. These activities include the sorting and boxing of food collected during the "Scouting for Food" activity.

Communications:  The majority of Troop 1137’s communication is through the Troop1137 Yahoo news group (Troop1137@yahoogroups.com). 

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